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Friday, 17 May 2019

ERE'S SECRET AND 223 BONNY STREET (ANTHOLOGY) BY FIRI KAMSON

Two enchanting stories about loss and love: In Ere’s Secret, Ere has a life-changing decision to make. In 223 Bonny Street, Ikenna wakes to the joys and challenges of being a woman.

ERE’S SECRET

I have a secret. In three days, I'll be turning forty, and I'm in love for the first time. Decades ago, I sacrificed my life for the good of my family. But tragedy struck too close to home, reminding me of the brevity of life. Now, I have a choice to make: continue living in the shadows, or allow my true self to emerge.

223 BONNY STREET

After an accident, waking up in another person's body seems like a dream until Ikenna realizes that he is faced with the stark reality of Nkechi’s life, the woman whose body he occupies. He experiences the pains and joys, the strengths and sacrifices of a woman.

The two of them make a connection beyond the physical, but matters of the heart are delicate. When secrets from the past are revealed, will their connection be strong enough to survive?

AVAILABLE ON:

ABOUT FIRI KAMSON

Firi has been an avid reader since she could read mostly because I caught the reading bug from my dad and mum. With reading Roots by Alex Harley and the Odessa file at 8, reading was her mode of escape.

Firi loves all fiction but enjoys being curled up under the duvet reading a hot sizzling romance novel when what being a mum, an adult, a wife, a sister and a daughter.

Writing this book has been a dream come true so I hope you’ll love it as much as I have love writing it. Please do not forget to leave a review on Amazon. You can follow me on for more updates on my incoming books.

Other interesting facts about Firi: she paints ceramic and glass mostly but everything can be her canvas so we would not be surprised seeing that she has painted a plane. You can find her paintings on her Instagram page.

QUEER AND SEXY COLLECTION VOL. 1 BY ENIITAN

In this debut edition of three Queer and Sexy interwoven stories written by Eniitan, we explore pleasure, desire, love, human nature and godhood. Follow the lives of Ufuoma, Larrie, Ariyike, Fausiat, Halimat and Uduak as they experience the magic that is the otherworldly Tara.

Ufuoma was the last off the plane. She had shunned her usual garb of comfortable jeans and tees and worn a cream skirt-suit that clung to her voluptuous figure like wet on water.

The cream showed off her dark skin, and to drive the point of her femininity home, she had the first three buttons of the white shirt open. Her bra pushed up the mounds of her breasts, leaving onlookers in no doubt of the gifts hidden underneath her clothes.

On her feet was a pair of heels, making her appear even taller.

She was determined to make the best of this long weekend away from her regular life.

This would be her first time at an all-female party, and although Loretta had assured her that it would be fun, she was still a little anxious, so she fell into the default of looking extraordinarily good to boost her spirits.

One of the best things, and the worst, was her ability to ‘pass’ and be taken for a heterosexual, cis-gendered woman, but it also made her invisible to other queer women. A blessing and a curse in a country like Nigeria. She remembered her university days with a shudder. Those years she’d spent listening to ‘godly advice’ from classmates and lecturers about how she should stop hanging out with her more masculine-presenting friends, the rumours they felt comfortable sharing with her about how these women were all a bunch of lesbians and that she should avoid being inducted into the ‘cult of lesbianism.’

To worsen her situation, bonding with women was not her strong suit, maybe because she was not primarily attracted to men, not sexually or emotionally. She’d never felt invested in them enough to mind their vagaries; she could take them or leave them, without a backward glance. But with women—she was always so scared, had always been, of the different ways loving women could drive you to a point of madness, of how invested she became in their lives, their well-being. But most importantly of the powerful way a woman could break you … but that hadn’t stopped her from wanting them, loving them.

Thursday, 16 May 2019

Happy May
everybody. The rains are falling and the flowers are blooming. Spring is
lovely. So are urban fantasy books with kick ass heroines. I’m just saying.

Remember to
head over to Constantine and Baryeh’s blogs once you have finished reading my
review of Maggie for Hire.

The Blurb

When monsters
appear on Earth, Maggie MacKay is on the job. No one is better at hauling the
creepy crawlies back where they belong. No one, that is, except Maggie's dad,
who vanished in the middle of an assignment. Now, an elf named Killian has
shown up with a gig. Seems Maggie's uncle teamed up with the forces of dark to
turn Earth into a vampire convenience store, serving bottomless refills on
humans. Ah, family...

The only hope for survival lies in tracking down two magical artifacts and a
secret that disappeared with Maggie's dad.

WARNING: This book contains cussing, brawling, and unladylike behavior.
Proceed with caution.

My
Review

I liked the concept of Maggie being a magical
tracker. It reminded me of female bounty hunter books, only she was really
adept at her work. The story entertained me, making me laugh in parts. I appreciated
that Maggie wasn’t invincible, knew it, and acted accordingly.

I didn’t see any chemistry between Maggie and
Killian even though it was intimated by several of the secondary characters
(who I loved). The two seemed more like they would be good friends than
anything else, and they definitely worked well together. Killian was a sweetie
where Maggie had a hard as nails edge to her. As an elf, I thought he would
have been more powerful, and dare I say it, helpful.

I really liked the way the book ended. That’s all
I’m saying about that.

Friday, 3 May 2019

LOSING THE BID BY SUZETTE RIDDICK

Parading in front of a room full of women is not Adrian Collins’ idea of a good time. The last thing he wants to do is fly to Chicago for a bachelor auction. But, how can he refuse to help the woman who nurtured him after his mother abandoned him when he was a toddler? Going back to the site of his deepest wounds is where he’ll meet his destiny, Daphne Turner. Adrian is disappointed when Daphne slips through his fingers after losing the bid to an old flame from his past.

Reeling from the death of her uncle, Daphne accepts her best friend’s offer to attend a fundraiser in the windy city. Good cause or not, the idea of spending hard-earned money on a date is ludicrous. That is, until she locks eyes with ruggedly-handsome bachelor number twelve. Unfortunately, the night doesn't end as Daphne hoped. In the company of a sexy stranger to chase her blues away.

Fate intervenes when Adrian and Daphne’s paths intertwine. However, Adrian's past threatens to rob them of a life of happiness. Will Daphne's love be enough to heal his wounded soul?

AVAILABLE ON:

EXCERPT

Finally, the Motrin kicked in leaving a faint trace of pain behind. Ear buds in, Daphne tapped her foot to the beat of Jill Scott singing about life being golden. Turn around, she heard Uncle Hal's voice whisper. Daphne's foot stopped its movement. Eyes shifting to the left and then the right, she expected to see her uncle.

"Oh, my God. I'm going crazy," she mumbled under her breath, hoping the woman in front of her didn't hear her talking to herself. Turn around. This time the inner voice was more persistent.

Slowly, Daphne complied. The man responsible for her recent agony was less than fifteen feet away. Lord, she was trying not to stare. But how could she not? He was downright sexy with swagger for days. And that grin curving his full mouth made her remember what she'd been missing since her vow of celibacy three years ago. What would those lips feel like kissing every inch of her body? Daphne's eyes were drawn to his hands and his feet. Ooh, have mercy. Heat flushed her insides as a naughty thought skipped across her mind. Why hadn't she noticed those big feet the other night?

"We meet again," came his smooth introduction into what Daphne hoped would be a conversation with them exchanging phone numbers as he stepped in line behind her.

A sultry smile played around Daphne lips. "I don't recall us meeting." She wouldn't dare bring up the dreaded auction.

"My bad." Adrian held out his hand. "Adrian Collins."

Daphne hesitated before accepting the proffered hand. Because she felt in her spirit once their bodies made contact, there was no reversing whatever fate awaited her. Awaited them.

"Daphne Turner." She tilted her head back to look up at him. "You're a lot taller than I thought you would be."

Adrian's laughter sent quivers through her belly.

"And you look a lot shorter than you did Saturday night."

Moving to close the gap in the line between her and the woman in front, Daphne glanced down at the sneakers covering her feet. "It was the heels."

She shifted her gaze to the McDonald's across the hall to hide her flushed cheeks. The memory of how his eyes caressed her bare legs made her inside tingle in the most delicious way.

Daphne held her breath when Adrian leaned forward, bringing his mouth mere inches from the shell of her ear. His breath was warm, stoking a flame in her when he whispered, "You have amazing legs. I damn near tripped over my feet staring at them."

Was he a mind reader? Daphne wondered.

"Next in line." The cashier called. Caught in a haze, Daphne hadn't heard the twenty-something. How was she supposed to hear anything when this man was so close? If she turned her head in the slightest movement, their lips would touch. Sweet baby Jesus!

Her eyelids closed, and she inhaled deeply when he leaned even closer. His lips brushed her earlobe when he whispered, "It's your turn to order."

Daphne's eyes fluttered open. Adrian's teasing smile had a nerve to be as sexy as he was.

Embarrassed, she spun around to take her focus off Adrian. But that wasn't any better because the cashier giggled. "Listen, if you don't want him, I'll gladly take him off your hands."

"You and half the women in this airport," Daphne jokingly replied under her breath before placing her order for a white-chocolate caramel latte with soy milk. Adrian covered her hand to stop her from going into her purse.

"I got it," he told her before adding an order for a black coffee.

After their orders were taken and paid for, they moved to the side of the counter to wait. Although it was only a five-dollar beverage, Daphne was impressed that he offered to pay for it. The last guy she went out with insisted they go Dutch. Cheap bastard.

"Thanks for buying my latte."

"My pleasure, pretty lady."

Daphne blushed again. This man was splendid for her ego. When was the last time a man made her feel this good about herself?

"Full of compliments," Daphne shyly murmured.

Adrian's laugh was deep and sexy, causing her belly to quiver again. She wondered if he was teasing and playful in bed. Or was he intense and serious? Or was he gifted and possessed with the ability to switch between the two when the mood called for it?

WIN A COPY OF CALIENTE NIGHTS BY SUZETTE RIDDICK(KINDLE EBOOK)

ABOUT SUZETTE RIDDICK

Suzette Riddick is a wife, mother, and nurse practitioner who enjoys writing about flawed characters on a quest for love. She is an Amazon Best-Selling Author and was a featured author in USA Today ~ Happy Ever After. A native of Philadelphia, PA, Suzette loves to travel, read, and is addicted to Chanel parfum.To learn more about Suzette visit her website at www.suzetteriddick.com.

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

The full quote from an agent I recently queried was: “As you
know, publishing is subjective and it's entirely possible you'll find another
agent able to prove me wrong.”

Just like all things writing related, the process of finding
an agent has been an exercise in skin toughening. So far all I have gotten are
rejections with the same general statement about subjectivity. But I know (said
with hand fisted in the air and true belief) that I will get someone who likes
the book and wants to be my agent. Not only that, but they will work their
behinds off to get the book a great deal. Henceforth proving those nay
sayerswrong.

In the meantime I am revising the story, layering it with
drama and having yet another beta reader take a look at it before sending it
out to another round of agents. Wish me luck.

This post was sparked by a book club that I belong to. We
read a very highly anticipated book of short stories. Most of the stories were
speculative fiction, which was outside of my comfort zone and yet because the
writing and storytelling was good, I still enjoyed most of the stories.
Basically the ones I could understand.

Anyway, the group seemed to have disliked the book and I
can’t understand how they could have such strong negative emotions about
it.

And then the comment from the agents hit me.

Subjectivity.

It comes as a part of life. Everything we do, see, touch,
etc. has a subjective connotation to it because our perspective is the only one
that is who we are. This is why a few reviewers will detest a book that so many
others loved. It’s a part of life, just like taxes (paying or evading).

Other people’s opinions, whether good or bad, can’t be taken
personally. In the end it is the individual’s own feeling on the topic that
counts.

Lesson learned. Hopefully, I’ll accept it as my true belief
so that the rejections that are part of being an author don’t hit so hard.

Seeley is born a hunter. God’s warrior. She’s endowed with inexplicable gifts to slay creatures and demons threatening human’s. Alongside her guardian angel, Ezekiel, she will face unimaginable trials and tribulations.

Jack Chase was born an orphan. Kicked from foster home to foster home, he lands with a couple who worships Satan. He succumbs to their diabolical rituals, and learns he also has extraordinary talents. Wealthy, Asa Trebane, and leader of the Black Order of the Cult locates this teenager he’s heard much about. He takes Jack under his wing and into his home.

A mysterious pull leads Jack to Seeley. A pull neither of them can resist.

Wednesday, 17 April 2019

'That's the deal, Abbott. Take it...or leave it.'How
far will an ambitious heir go to secure his future?

Parker Abbott will do whatever it takes to be the next CEO of King's Finest
Distillery, even play fake fiancé to his childhood nemesis, Kayleigh Jemison.
Yet as he and the fiery redhead get reacquainted, sparks fly and real passion
emerges. But when her ex wants a second chance, who will Kayleigh choose?

My Review

I jumped into the series with this book and now I think I’ll
have to go back to read the first two. The secondary characters were so
engaging that I want to read their stories, too.

I really liked how much Kayleigh loved experiencing life.
The saying about a woman scorned came to mind when we learned how he had hurt
her when they were younger. Kayleigh was an active woman who had had to deal
with a childhood that wasn’t ideal. Yet she made the most of it and became a
successful jewelry maker.

Parker. Oh, my goodness, a finer nerd I have never read. He
was initially stiff and unyielding. Many times I found myself shaking my head
at his antics.

Fireworks exploded when these two came together. At first it
was the kind that wanted to cause collateral damage, and then it became the sort
that induced passion. It took a while for the chemistry to come to life between
these two, but when it did, it was amazing. They brought out the best in each
other and pushed each other to grow which pleased me.

There was one thing that lacked closure, and that was about
Kayleigh’s sister. Maybe shell get her own story. Otherwise I was a happy
romance reader with a glorious happily-ever-after that I’m still smiling
about.

Monday, 15 April 2019

This
post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish
Promotions. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $25
Amazon/BN GC.

What's better
than a dashing duke? A dozen of them! In this case, a baker's dozen--thirteen
of your favorite historical romance authors have

come
together to bring you more than a dozen tantalizing novellas, with one per
month, for a year's worth of never-before-released
romances.

Duke
in Winter by Alyssa Alexander

February
- The Difference One Duke Makes by Elizabeth Essex

March
- Discovering the Duke by Madeline Martin

April
- The Duke and the April Flowers by Grace Burrowes

May
- Love Letters from a Duke by Gina Conkle

June
- Her Perfect Duke by Ella Quinn

July
- How to Ditch a Duke by May McGoldrick

August
- To Tempt A Highland Duke by Bronwen Evans

September
- Duke in Search of a Duchess by Jennifer Ashley

October
- Dear Duke by Anna Harrington

November
- Must Love Duke by Heather Snow

December
- The Mistletoe Duke by Sabrina York

January
- Dueling with the Duke by Eileen Dreyer

Read
an Excerpt

from
The Duke and the April Flowers

By
Grace Burrowes

April

***Henning,
Duke of Clonmere is bound by a promise made by his late father. He must marry
one of the Earl of Falmouth’s daughters, though only the oldest, Lady Iris, who
considers herself on the shelf, interests Clonmere… In fact, she fascinates
him. ***

“The
waltz will start soon,” Iris said. “We should be going inside.”

His
Grace of Clonmere remained on the bench beside her. “Might I confide a secret?
I’m all waltzed out. I have no more waltzes, minuets, quadrilles, gavottes or
Roger de Coverley’s in me. Not tonight. Your sisters have worn me to flinders.”

I
want my waltz. And yet, Iris was also relieved. To twirl around in Clonmere’s
arms, pretending to be merely amused, pretending to merely enjoy what Iris
would instead be savoring and resenting and treasuring…. Clonmere’s demurral
was in truth a reprieve.

“My
sisters thrive on society’s entertainments. You will have a waltzing duchess,
Your Grace. Best accommodate yourself to that reality now, even if it’s not
precisely what you wish for.”

Clonmere
plucked a flower from the urn beside the bench. “What do you wish for? If you
had a fairy godmother, and she granted you a wish-come-true, what would it be,
Lady Iris?”

Just
as the duke was out of waltzes, Iris was out of witty rejoinders. The plain,
honest truth begged to be spoken, if only this once, if only to a man making
conversation to avoid the ballroom.

“A
wish? My deepest, most secret wish?”

“The
wish your heart whispers as you drift into dreams, that wish.”

To
not end up with cat hair all over my life. To not be a burden on my family. To
never… but those wishes were all in the negative. What did Iris wish for
affirmatively? She had the sense Clonmere would wait for her answer until
Michaelmas, though by then he’d be married to some sister or other.

“I
wish that a worthy man would regard me, the true me, as the fulfillment of some
of his dreams, Your Grace. Not all, of course, just as I wouldn’t expect him to
be the sum total of my life either. I was raised to anticipate that I’d find a
partner though, and I’m not ashamed to long for it. I wish that man would find
me, and kiss me as if all the love in his heart had finally found a home, and
as if all the love in my heart was his dearest treasure. Just once, I’d like to
experience such a kiss.”

The
admission surprised her, but also came as something of a relief. Twenty-six was
not ancient, and longing for somebody to love was purely human.

“You
are very brave,” Clonmere said, rising. “Very fierce.”

Now
he was ready to return to the ballroom? “I am neither.”

He
offered his hand—not his arm—and Iris rose. She’d confided much more than she’d
intended, but the recitation had given her courage. She would not slink off to
Surrey, she would not consign herself to the company of dyspeptic cats and
literary spinsters.

“Where
are we going?” she asked, for the duke was not taking her in the direction of
the ballroom.

“What
matters one more waltz, when I can make a lady’s wish come true?” He came to a
halt toward the back of the garden. The sound of the ballroom faded to a
distant roar, moonlight glinted on a trickle of water splashing from a fountain
sculpted into the shape of a blooming rose.

“I
must make my own wish come true,” Iris said.

Clonmere
shifted his grip on Iris’s hand, linking their fingers. “On Saturday, I will
choose which of Falmouth’s daughters to court. From that day forward, I will be
devoted to her and only to her, if she’ll have me. I must make my choice in a
manner that offers none of your sisters insult, or the woman I choose for my
duchess will forever regret that she caused her siblings to suffer. Jealousy
among siblings is the very devil, and I won’t be the cause of it in my wife’s
family.”

He
was trying to make some point, but Iris grasped only the first part of his
declaration. “You have not yet made your choice. You aren’t devoted to anybody
yet.”

“Precisely.”
He took off his gloves, a curious thing to do when the supper was still a set
of dances away. “I am free to behave as I please, and I please to make your
one, honest wish come true—if I may?”

A
peculiar sensation welled from Iris’s middle, part glee, part terror. “You’d
like to kiss me?”

“That
was your wish.”

Her
wish had involved a particular kind of kiss, which Clonmere couldn’t possibly
deliver.

She
nodded.

He
framed her face in the warmth of his hands. “Then… as you wish, my lady.”

About
the Author:

New York Times Bestselling, award-winning author
Eileen Dreyer has published 40 novels and 10 short stories under her name and
that of her evil twin, Kathleen Korbel in contemporary romance, paranormal
romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, mystery and medical forensic
suspense. A proud member of RWA's Hall of FAME, she also has numerous awards
from RT BookLovers and an Anthony nomination for mystery. She is now focusing
on what she calls historic romantic adventure in her DRAKE'S RAKES series. A
native of St. Louis, she still lives there with her family. She has animals but
refuses to subject them to the limelight.